What are some activities you should try during Tet in Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is a vibrant city that comes alive during the Lunar New Year. Also known as Tet, the Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in Vietnam and is celebrated with a variety of traditional and modern activities. Here are 10 things that you can do during Tet in Ho Chi Minh City.
Explore the city:
Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling metropolis, and there's always something to see and do. During Tet, the city is decorated with colorful lanterns and flags, making it an even more beautiful place to explore. Visitors can also take a tour of the city's many temples and pagodas, or visit the War Remnants Museum to learn about the city's history and culture.
2. Take a boat tour of the Saigon River:
The Saigon River is an important part of Ho Chi Minh City's history and culture, and a boat tour during Tet is a great way to see the city from a different perspective. Visitors can admire the many decorated boats on the river and enjoy traditional music performances.
3. Participate in Tet customs:
Tet is a time for families to come together and participate in traditional customs. Visitors can participate in ancestor worship ceremonies, where they can pay their respects to their ancestors by burning incense and offering food. Another traditional custom is the giving of lucky money, usually in red envelopes, to children and unmarried adults.
4. Attend a lion dance show:
Lion dances are a traditional part of Tet celebrations in Ho Chi Minh City. Visitors can attend a lion dance performance, where performers wearing lion costumes will dance to traditional music, bringing good luck and prosperity for the new year.
5. Attend a Tet concert or festival:
During the Lunar New Year, Ho Chi Minh City hosts a variety of festivals and concerts. Visitors can enjoy traditional music and dance performances, lion dances, and fireworks displays. The city's parks and squares are also filled with vendors selling traditional foods and craft.
6. Visit the Tet flower markets:
One of the most popular Tet traditions is the decoration of homes and streets with flowers, particularly yellow apricot blossoms, kumquat trees, and bonsai. The city's flower markets come alive during the Lunar New Year, with vendors selling a wide variety of flowers and plants to help residents decorate their homes.
7. Visit the Lunar New Year Festival at Tao Dan Park:
One of the most popular places to celebrate Tet in Ho Chi Minh City is Tao Dan Park, which hosts a Lunar New Year Festival featuring traditional music and dance performances, lion dances, and food vendors. Visitors can also admire the many decorated kumquat trees and floral displays.
8. Enjoy traditional Tet foods:
Tet is a time for families to come together and enjoy traditional foods. Some popular Tet dishes in Ho Chi Minh City include banh chung, a sticky rice cake filled with meat and beans, and banh tet, a similar dish made with glutinous rice and mung beans. You can also find traditional desserts such as candied fruits and sweet glutinous rice cakes.
9. Visit the Tet Nguyen Dan exhibition:
The Tet Nguyen Dan exhibition is held annually to showcase traditional customs, costumes, and food of the Vietnamese people during the Lunar New Year. Visitors can learn about the history and significance of Tet, as well as enjoy traditional arts and crafts.
10. Lastly, you could visit the Ho Chi Minh City Museum:
The Ho Chi Minh City Museum is a great place to learn about the city's history and culture, and during Tet, the museum hosts special exhibitions showcasing traditional customs and artifacts. Visitors can also enjoy traditional music performances and learn about the significance of Tet in Vietnam.
Tet is a wonderful time to visit Ho Chi Minh City, a city that comes alive with color, culture, and tradition during the Lunar New Year. Visitors can enjoy traditional foods, participate in customs, explore the city, and attend festivals and concerts. The experience will be one that will remain in memory for a long time.
